Phil R

I think that's a red herring and it's 2 models and 5 liveries. A Class 141.2 models - with jumper cables and without. 5 liveries - Blue/grey Metrotrain White/green WYPTE Red/cream I would imagine these would carry Leeds/York/Sheffield destinations. Serco Red/grey Iranian Railways - (possibly Tehran via Wakefield Westgate - English at one end Arabic at the other). Keeping everything crossed. Phil

Hi Jon Good news. If you search www.petertandy.co.uk - Class 33 there is a picture of 33118 plus a 4TC in NSE from 1990. It is 5th from the bottom. On my phone so can't get it to link directly but you should find it fairly easily I hope. Also on the page is a 33/1+4TC+5TCB Wool - Birmingham New St troop train from 1988. Regards Phil

Well found Pete. Don't think you'd get away with a 5hr 20min journey with no toilets these days! Regards Phil

Regarding the earlier discussion on Bachmann's forthcoming model 38-119 Bristol VRT bus in DM&EE blue/yellow, I emailed EFE about the colour scheme and their reply is reproduced below. Hello Phil Thank you for your email and comments, sorry for the delay in replying to you. We certainly found it a little confusing when looking at few images of this bus as to what colour it is, but after discussing it with several people who had first hand experience of seeing this bus, we chose blue as it was what they suggested. We hope this allays your concerns and thank you again for your email. Thank You Frank Joyce From the team at EFE Seems fair enough to me. Also very impressed that they replied. Emailed a multinational and a little shop about 3 months ago, despite assurances they had received my email and it would be dealt with not heard anything back, so well done to EFE. Regards Phil

Morning Have just emailed EFE and will post any response. Hoping for clarification as it's a nice looking model. Regards Phil

Hi If you search flickr for BNU679G (can't get it to link, sorry) you get a photo from 1986 at Springs Branch, Wigan. There is a class 20 behind it in BR blue. The bus looks to be painted in the same grey as the Doncaster Training bus referred to earlier in post 1712. It certainly doesn't look as blue as the model. That may be an earlier/later variation of the livery and I'm happy to be corrected. (There's also a pic of it at Doncaster with a very tatty Leyland Terrier behind it in 1987) TTC Diecast are doing the model on a pre-order offer of £31.88. Regards Phil

There is also a DVD with stills and film taken on a railtour in 1968 showing Friargate and Mickleover Search youtube for - Derby station GNR The Last Train. Mickleover is around the 1:00 min mark, footage of the station and tunnel. Cheers Phil

Hi Kevin My mother, a lifelong Derby resident, remembers travelling from Derby Friargate to Great Yarmouth sometime in the mid-late 1950s. The stock was possibly non-corridor but it definitely didn't have toilets. They were known as "kidney bean specials", the name apparently coming from the practice of taking your own vegetables with you for the landlady to cook with your evening meal! Incidentally, my great aunt and uncle George & Emily Snow lived on Sims Avenue I believe. I know Mickleover very well, and you've really captured it with your layout. Regards Phil

Absolutely brilliant. About half way through I thought all this video needs is a Swallow liveried HST. Sure enough one appeared! Really captures the late 80s/early 90s. Very entertaining, the black cab at the start is genius.

Great work. Youtube vids are very good too. Apologies if I've missed them but what are the overall dimensions please? Regards Phil

Yes, great shop. Owner always seemed friendly, good range of stuff including some not bad repaints (done by a driver IIRC). Think it closed around 1994 - just as I was learning to drive and could have gone there more often! Re Derby shops - someone must remember Golden Gains on the Wardwick, toys downstairs, model railways (Hornby) upstairs. You had go out the shop and up a big staircase next to the other floor, seem to recall a dance school in the building as well. They closed mid-late 90s to concentrate on mail order diecast I believe. Regards Phil

Not having enough time, not using the time I do have constructively. Looking for a picture/article for reference, being sure it was in a certain book/magazine and finding it somewhere totally different Getting back from an exhibition, full of enthusiasm, doing some modelling and finding that tool xyz would be ideal for whatever you're working on.. but you don't have one and you visited at least two tool stalls at said exhibition. Being set on my layout's track plan, scenery etc then visiting exhibitions, looking online, reading mags etc, seeing other layouts and giving me dozens of ideas to try and incorporate sending me back to the drawing board (although this probably says more about me than about modelling). Phil

Daryl I’d say that’s a Mk2a FK. It has a middle door which makes it Mk2 or 2a and I don’t think any Mk 2 FKs were painted in trans-pennine livery. The Bachmann Mk 2a FK (39-34x) is very suitable. Mark 2 & 2a open stock had an additional centre door on both sides, the corridor stock had a centre door on the corridor side only. This doesn’t apply to stock with brake accommodation. Mark 2b & 2c only had doors at the ends and these were “wrap-round” i.e. the door was hinged on the end of the coach and “wrapped around” the corner of the carriage, rather than the Mk 2 & 2a which had narrower doors which were hinged on bodyside. Cheers Phil Giz - beat me to it!

At the risk of this vehicle catching me out again, I think that's a Scotrail liveried BG. Good find and a cracking shot though. Cheers Phil

Missed those giz, thanks Never knew this vehicle actually existed, have edited my earlier post to correct my misinformation. That is the beauty of forums like this, you are always learning something new. Thanks Phil

Yes that's correct. A lot of the Regional Railways liveried stock was repainted from blue/grey or Network Southeast livery as well. AFAIK, Trans-Pennine livery was only carried by non air-con Mk2 TSOs & FKs and BGs. Regional Railways was carried by Mk1 TSO, FK, and non air-con Mk2 BFK, BSK, BSO & TSO stock. Some of these types only had one example in these colours. Regards Phil Edited to correct posting after further info from mjkerr below

Hi Karhedron is correct. Some blue/grey TPO vehicles were certainly running into 1988 but the majority were repainted into red with the yellow lettering. The first batch appeared in September 1986 and had red roofs but I'm guessing they got dirty very quickly so were abandoned. The final livery of red with the large white "Royal Mail Travelling Post Office" script was introduced in 1991. Regards Phil

As far as I am aware they were never popular. Unfortunately, they advertise for East Midlands Trains, so those of us who live in the region have to dodge the telly ads as well as the pair of them on random bus shelters.

Hi Small destinations did get them - good example of a short, easily modelled train is the Huddersfield - Whitehaven TPO which ran up until 1991. Usual formation was 1 TPO (same as the Farish model), 3-4 BGs http://www.flickr.com/photos/26357805@N06/4196633783/ Interesting site here http://www.allanyeo.co.uk/index.html Cheers Phil

Go compare is very annoying and I'm always concerned by the ad for the lawyers, fronted by the actor who played a corrupt cop in The Bill

Hi There were also the Mk2d RMBTs nos 6652/6660/6661/6662/6665 converted from TSOTs around 1986 for the NW-SE cross country services. These had 2 x 8 seat bays removed and a microwave oven, boiler and buffet counter fitted. They carried Intercity livery had the red cantrail stripe extended over two windows and "InterCity Buffet" legend. Cheers Phil